What ifs for Rams skipper as title race is blown wide open

Jon Fielding admits there are a few ‘what ifs’ among the Ramsbottom camp.

Jon Fielding admits there are a few ‘what ifs’ among the Ramsbottom camp.

The Ramsbottom captain always said it would be interesting to see how Lowerhouse reacted to defeat after going through the first 11 league games without a loss and topping the Lancashire League table.

But the Liverpool Road side have hit a blip, losing four of the last six matches – including the last three – and it’s Enfield who have taken over at the top.

Fielding expected his sixth-placed side – who won the title in 2010 – to be challenging for the title and still hasn’t ruled it out.

They do trail the leaders by 30 points but celebrated a double win weekend and feel they are coming back into form.

"There are a few what if’s at the moment," admitted the Ramsbottom skipper.

"We should have beaten Lowerhouse and Enfield at Enfield and there are a few games we can look back at that we should have won which would have put us closer to the top.

"But you never know now. Lowerhouse have lost three on the trot and it can happen to anyone but if we can put a run together now then you never know.

"We have Lowerhouse on the final game of the season and we hope we still have something to play for. We won’t give up now."

The bonus for Ramsbottom is that they have pro Pieter Malan until the penultimate game of the season – and he would extend it until the September 9 clash at Lowerhouse if Ramsbottom are still in the title chase.

And he is in form with a big hitting weekend taking him to 845 runs for the season as he chalked up a league high of 115 not out against new leaders Enfield on Saturday.

"Pieter played well, especially on difficult wickets" said Fielding.

"We just want him to keep this form until the end of the season and we will see where it takes us.

"Alex Bell had been dropped to the second team but he came back in and scored 85 on Sunday against Nelson so it was a good weekend for us.

"Now we have Accrington on Sunday although we will be watching our second team in the Second XI Cup final tomorrow at Haslingden."

Fielding is one of the bowlers who has come under some scrutiny thanks to Paul Turner’s proposed changes to the Lancashire League.

Turner suggesting limiting overs so a pro and a bowler can’t bowl 25 each in a match thus allowing other bowlers to develop and making matches more entertaining.

Fielding would be hit by limiting the overs but he did support the cause: "I think some very good points have been made in the debate and shouldn’t be ignored.

"I don’t think it would be disastrous if they limited the number of overs for bowlers as it would give younger bowlers a chance.

"It is hard when you have one or two bowlers and it’s difficult to score runs against themand limited overs would make it a better game – perhaps a 15 or 16 over limit. I have no problem with that."

However Fielding didn’t agree with some of the other suggestions such as bringing some Northern League sides into a new four-tier league where the Ribblesdale League will be the bottom two leagues.

"I think the league needs tweaking rather than major changes.

"It’s still a really good league which attracts quality professionals with grounds of a decent standard.

"If we merge leagues we lose a lot of tradition.

"I can see the sense in, halfway through, splitting the league so the teams at the bottom have something to play for but I don’t want to see a three-tier Lancashire League or anything like that.

"I wouldn’t support radical chances just a few tweaks here and there. Nothing drastic needs doing as it’s a fantastic league."

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